Electric toaster



Jan. 6, 1942. F, w CHARF 2,268,675

ELECTRIC TOASTER Filed July 12', 1940 4'Sheets-Sheet I INVENTOR' 7 m? wdc'hqrf ATTORN Jan. 6, 1942. Fqw. SCHARF ELECTRIC TOASTER Filed July 12, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 0/? Wdc/ arf' ATTORN Jan. 6, 1942.

. w. SCHARF ELECTRI'C TOASTER Filed July 12, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORN Jan. 1942- F. w. SCEHARF 2,268,675

ELECTRIC TOASTER Filed July' 12, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORN Patented Jan. 6, 1942 ELECTRIC TOASTEB Frank W. Scharf, Marshall, Mich., assignor to McGraw Electric Company, Elgin, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application July 12,1940, Serial a... 345,191

. 6 Claims.

My invention relates to electric toasters.

An object ,of my invention is to provide a relatively simple casing structure for an electric toaster.

Another object of my invention is to provide a toaster assembly so constructed that a slice of bread can easily be'inserted in and removed from the toasting chamber without danger of engaging heated parts of the toaster.

Another object of my invention is to provide a toaster which can be completely closed durin a toasting operation.

Another object of my invention is to provide an electric toaster in which the slice of bread being toasted remains stationary and in which the normally deenergized heating elements are moved into toasting and energized position.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a toaster having normally open cooperatingarcuate cover members and relatively simple means to move them to closed position.

Other objects will either be apparent from a description of a preferred form of toaster embodying my invention or will be pointed out hereinafter in the course of such description and particularly in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Figure l is a view in front elevation, of a toaster embodying my invention with parts shown in inoperative or non-toasting position;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view with parts shown in operative position; I

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view, in side elevation, showing the method of manually terminating a toasting operation;

Figure 4 is a front elevational view of actuating knobs shown'in manually actuated releasing position; v

Figure 5 is a view in vertical longitudinal section through a toaster embodying my invention taken on the line 55 of Figure 2, parts being shown in operating positions;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view mainly in side elevation of the mechanism for controlling the bread carriers, the par-ts being shown in inoperative positions;

Figures 7 and 8 are fragmentary views, in front elevation, of certain parts of the carrieractuating mechanism, shown in two different positions;

Figure 9 is a view in front portion of the casing removed and show ing the actuating parts in non-toasting positions' Figure 10 is a view similar to that shown in Figure 11 is a fragmentary view taken on the line Il-H of Figure 5 and showing the detent in operating position; Figure 12 is a fragmentary view similar to Figure 11 taken on the line I2l2 of Figure 13;

Figure 13 is a vertical sectional view through the parts shown in Figure 12 and taken on the line l3-l3 of Figure 12;

Figure 14 is a fragmentary view taken on the line l4l4 of Figure 12 showing the detent and latches when manually released;

Figure 15 is a vertical sectional view through the parts shown in Figure 14;

Figure 16 is a diagram of the electrical connections, and

Figure 1'7 is a view in vertical lateral section taken on the line l|-l1 of Figure 5.

An electric toaster assembly designated generally by numeral 2| may comprise a skeleton base frame 23 which may be made of a suitable moulded composition material, and which has mounted against its upper surface a bottom or base plate 25.

29 and 3| when in open or inoperative positions .is shown particularly in Figure 9 of the drawings while the operative or closed positions occupied by them during a toasting operation is shown in Figure 10 of the drawings. The two cover portions are actuated into andfrom their normal inoperative positions by means to be hereinafter described.

The toaster assembly includes an inner casing structure 33 comprising two side walls 35 and front elevation with the 31- extending between a front intermediate wall 39 .and a rear intermediate wall 41 to provide the four vertical walls of a toasting chamber adapted to receive slices of bread to be toasted therein. 7

Toast heating means include a plurality of electric heating elements each of which includes one or more thin sheets 63 of electric-insulatin material such as mica, having wound thereon electric resistor wire or strip 45 in a manner well known in the art. It .11 be-noted from Figure The toaster assembly includes also a housing or outer casing 21 comprising- I have illustrated a twoslice toaster adapted to toast two slices of bread 41 at the same time and while I do not desire to be limited to three spaced heating elements, I have shown three such heating elements in which eachv 'of the one or several thin plates 43 are held in a metal frame 49. Guard wires 5| are provided on the inside of the outside heating units as shown in Figure 17 while the intermediate heating unit may have guard wires mounted thereon at both sides of the unit so that two slices of bread will be held in substantially centered position between the spaced apart heating elements. Means for supporting slices of bread during a toasting operation may include platforms 53 of any suitable or desired kind, which platforms may be supported by end portions secured to the front and the rear intermediate walls.

A pair of cross bars 55 and 51 are suitably mechanically connected with the lower end portions of the plurality of spaced heating units in order to maintain these heating units in proper operative and vertically-spaced positions and one end of the toast heating resistor hereinbefore described is connected to a contact terminal 59 mounted on bar 55 while the other end of the toast heating resistor is connected to a contactmounted thereon, it is possible to have these rods engage some of the mechanical parts of the toast heating means which will, of course, permit a somewhat stiiTer or more rigid structure.

-Means engageable by the the contact mem- I bers 59 and BI under operating conditions comprise a spring supported contact member 63 and a spring supported contact member 85 (see Figure 5) suitably supported from the bread support 53 within the toasting chamber, these two spring supported contacts being connected to two terminals 89 of the toaster by suitably insulated electrical conductors. It is of course understood that the terminals 69 are to be connected through a twin conductor supply circuit cord to a suitable source of electrical energy in a manner well knownin the art. As will be hereinafter set forth, the toast heating means is adapted to move vertically from the position shown by the broken lines in Figure 17 when the heating means is not energized to the position shown by the full' lines in Figure 17 when the contact members 59 and GI will be in engagement with spring contact members 63 and 55 to permit of energizing the toast heating means to effect toasting of slices of bread positioned on the carrier platforms 53.

a A top closure plate 1| of generally rectangular form is provided, the side portions of which fit under the inturned flanged portions 13 of the upper edges of the covers 29 and 3| when these covers are in their open position, and engage and rest on out-turned flanges 14 at the upper ends stantially vertically upwardly at the inside of the rear wall of casing 21. Two spaced pivot pins or stub shafts 11 are fixedly mounted in the upper end of bracket 15 and are severally adapted to support hubs 19 fixedly secured to the narrow rear end of each of the cover portions to permit of the hereinbefore described arcuate movement of the cover portions toward and away from each other.

At the front end of the toaster assembly there is provided a front bracket plate 8| of substantially L-shape having its lower end portion resting on and secured to bottom plate 25 (see Figure 5). The bracket 8I is provided with two spaced pins or stub shafts 83 on which are mounted hubs 85 to which are respectively secured the front narrow ends of the respective cover portions 29 and 3|. The hubs 85 may include meshing segmental gear portions 88 shown in Figures 5, 6, 9 and 10, whereby to cause the two cover portions to move simultaneously with each other.

In addition to the relatively long bracket 8| I provide a second front bracket 81 which is substantially shorter than bracket 8| and is secured to bracket 8|, spaced therefrom a suitable distance, by rivets 89 as well as by rivets 9|.

A pair of substantially similar lever arms 93- pins 9| and are of what might be termed dis-v torted T-shape, as will be seen most clearly by reference to Figure 9 of the drawings. The upper ends of each of the cross arms of lever arms 93 and 95 are pivotally connected to the lower ends of crossed links 91 and 99, which are of slightly L-shape (as will be seen by reference to Figure 9) the upper ends of which are connected to the lower ends of a pair of link arms IN, the upper ends of which are respectively fixedly connected with the hubs 85 hereinbefore described as being mounted on the respective stub shafts 83. The construction and arrangement of the lever arms 93 and 95, the links 91 and 99 and the link arms ml is such that when the two lever arms 93 and 95 are subjected to contracting pressure to cause them to move toward each other, the cover portions will be moved from their open'positions as seen in Figure 9 to their closed positions as seen in Figure 10.

Means for effecting this movement of the lever arms 93 and 95 to cause closing movement of the cover,portions may include a pair of links I03 and I05, each of substantially L-shape positioned in front of bracket 81. longer arm of each link is pivotally connected to the lower. end of the cross arm of lever arms 93 I and 95 and a rearwardly projecting lug or extension I01 is provided at the other end of the respective longer arms of links I03 and I05. These lugs or extensions I01 are adapted to move in an arcuate slot I09 provided in the upper end of v bracket 81, and support the inner adjacent ends of links I03 and I05. Links I03 and I05 are individually provided with forwardly extending portions II I which projections extend through a slot tom plate 25 at its rear edge and extending sub- H3 in the front wall of the casing 21. An actuating knob H5 is mounted on each of the respective projections III and these knobs may be of the general shape shown in Figures 1 and 2 to be easily grasped by an operator to move the same toward each other when it is desired to initiate a toasting operation.

A detent I I1 is vertically slidable on the pins or rivets 89 having an elongated slot 8 and is of substantially bar shape and provided with a rectangular recess I I9 in its upper end face. The

The outer end of the lower end of this lever arm extensions I01 are adapted to fit into this recess II9 under normal operating conditions of the toaster when the detent I I9 is permitted tomove to its operative position by a spring I2I which tends to bias the detent to its uppermost position where it can engage with and hold the extensions I01 which therefore act as latches to hold'the cover portions intheir engaging positions as shown in Figure 10 of the drawings.

It is desired to move the toast heating means vertically upwardly from the position shown in broken lines in Figure 5 to the position shown by the full lines in Figure 5 and for this purpose I provide a pair of link arms I23. at the front of the toaster fixedly secured to the hub members 85, these two arms extending away from each other and angularly downwardly when the cover portions are open, as will be seen in Figure 9 of the drawings. Each of the arms I23 has fixedly secured thereto at its outer end a rod I24 extending backwardly to the upper end of a link I25 pivotally connected thereto, the lower ends of these links being pivotally connected to bracket members I21, which support a cross bar I29 operatively connected through bars or plates I30 with the toast heating means hereinbefore described. At the rear end of the toaster I provide a pair of link arms I3I each fixedly secured to the hubs 19 and. pivotally connect with each link arm a link I33 which links are connected to brackets I35 carrying a cross bar I31 connected to the rear end of the toast heating means through bars or plates MI. The rear linkage is substantially the same as that hereinbefore described for the front end of the toaster as supporting the toast heating means and the two will operate together. If de-. sired the hubs 19 may be provided with cooperating segmental gears to assure simultaneous movement of all of these members.

In order to provide an automatic termination of a toasting operation after a predetermined time, I provide a mechanical timer assembly I4I which may be of any suitable or desired kind but since it constitutes no part of my present invention, is shown generally only. It will, however, be understood that it includes suitable spring means, a gear train and a suitable retarding means so that the spring may be wound up at the beginning of a mitted to unwind against the delaying effect of the gear train and theretarding means, all in a manner now well known in the art. I may use a modified form of the timer shown in Ireland Patent Number 1,866,808 assigned to the same as-' signee as is the present invention.

the mechanical timer I4I may include an arm I43 having a shouldered recess I45 at its free end (see Figures '1 and 8) and also provided with a cam surface I41 at its lower edge intermediate its ends. The arm I43 has Means for energizing rigidly secured thereto a pin I49 which may move of a lever arm I5I, the being pivotally mounted on a pin I53 in a suitable part of the timer structure. When the actuating members hereinbefore described are in their normal or inoperative positions as seen in Figure 9 of the drawings, the shoulder I45 of arm I43 rests upon a pin I55 which is mounted on lever arm end of the cross bar constituting a part thereof. It is, therefore, obvious thatwhen lever arm 93 is moved in clockwise direction, the arm I43 will be moved to the right (as seen in Figure 9) and will cause a clockwise turning movement of lever arm I5I. Adjacent its lower end the arm I5I is in the upper slotted end toasting operation and be perbiasing pressure of spring I2I.

The stud or pin I49 has pivotally mounted thereon the upper end of a which is connected in any suitable or desired manner with the spring arbor usually used in mechanical timers. The construction of the timer is such that when arm' I43, lever arm I5I and therefore winding arm I59 are moved to the right or in a clockwise direction attendant upon turning movement of arm 93, the timer will be wound up to a predetermined degree.

Reference to Figures '1 and 8 of the drawings will show that the righthand end portion of arm I43 normally rests upon a pin IBI fixedly mounted in and supported by bracket BI. When pin I5I engages the cam surface. I41, the left-hand end of arm I43'will be moved upwardly so that pin I55 will be moved out of the recess I thereby stopping winding of the timer-and permitting the spring of the timer to unwind, all in a manner well known in the art.

- The arcuate slot I09 in bracket 81 is provided with a central depending recess I63, the side walls of which are angularly inclined so that when the latch portions I01 approach each other adjacent the vertical center line of the structure, they will be permitted to move downwardly and into the recess H9 in the upper detent has been permitted tomove upwardly under the action of spring I2I because of the clockwise turning movement of extension I51, as hereinbefore set forth.

It is obvious that timer arm I59 and arm I5I which are fixedly mounted on stub shaft I49 are moved in 'a counter-clockwise direction (as seen in'Figure 9) during the unwinding of the me- 93 at the lower chanical timer and that when arm I43 and arm- I5I have been moved as far'to the left as will cause downward movement of detent II1 into latch-disengaging position, the parts which during the toasting operation were in the positions shown in Figure 10 of the drawings will be quickly moved .to inoperative positions as shown in Figure 9 of the drawings. In order to prevent undue mechanical noise when the two cover portions move into their inoperative positions, I may provide a tension spring I connected to the lever arms 93 and 95 as shown in Figures 9 and 10 of the drawings.

If it be desired to manually terminate a toasting operation at any time during its progress,

knobs II5 as shown in Figure 3 of the drawings, the two knobs then moving upwardly and slightly apart as shown in Figure 4 of the drawings. When this movement is effected, the latches I01 will be moved upwardly as shown in Figures 14 and 15 of the drawings to move them out of the recess I I9 in detent II1. It is obvious that when the toasting operation is terminated by action of the timer, the detent III is moved downwardly away from the latch members while the latch members are moved upwardly away from the detent when a toasting operation is terminated manually.' It is further to be noted that both latch members I01 must be moved upwardly simultaneously by an operator in order to manually terminate a toasting operation since if only one latch member were. moved upwardly the other latch member still remaining in the recess in the detent would hold all of the parts in their provided with a lateral extension I51 adapted to bear upon and depress detent 1- against, the

timer winding arm I59 end of detent II1, which this may be done by pressing upwardly against both structure which is substantially enclosed during a toasting operation and in which slices of bread to be toasted are held in substantially fixed positions relatively to the major parts of the toaster structure and it is possible to so design the cover portions that the slices of bread will project a relatively large distance vertically above the upper parts of the toaster structures whereby possibility of accidental contact of an operator with heated parts of the toaster is substantially entirely precluded. Instead of moving the bread carriers relatively to the heating means, my improved structure moves the heating means relatively to the-substantially fixed bread supports and pieces of bread supported thereby.

If itbe desired to vary the toasting characteristics of the toaster I may provide ventilating means to produce a draft within the cooking chamber. 'The ventilating means may take any ofa number of forms, as for example, openings within the base of the toaster and corresponding openings in the closable cover top. Or, instead of the openings at the top, I may. provide for an incomplete closure of the arcuate cover membersso as to leave an opening for air to circulate therethrough. 4

Various modifications may be made in the device embodying my invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and I desire therefore that all such modifications shall be considered as being covered by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. An electric toaster including a casing, a

toast heater normally yieldingly biased to a lower inoperative position substantially within the casing and manually actuable means for moving the toast heater into an upper operative position with its upper portion positioned within the casing, said manually actuable means including two pivotally mounted lever arms normally spaced apart and movable toward each other toeflfect said movement, a lug on each lever arm and a detent member having a recess therein for receiving both said lugs to hold said toast heater in its upper operative position.

2. An electric toaster including a casing, a bread carrier fixedly positioned within the casing, a movable electric toast heater biased to a lower non-toasting position substantially within the casing, contact members on the heater movable therewith, cooperating contact members supported by the bread carrier and normally out of engagement with the contact members on the heater, manually actuable means including two pivotally mounted lever arms normally spaced apart and movable toward each other and a linkage connecting said lever arms to the toast heater for moving the heater to upper contact-engaging and toasting position, a lug on each lever arm and a detent member having a recess therein to receive both lugs to hold said toast heater in contact-engaging position.

3. An electric toaster including a casing, a bread carrier fixedly positioned within the casing, a movable electric toast heater biased to a two pivotally mounted lever arms normally spaced 'apart and movable toward each other and a linkage connecting said lever arms to the toast heater for moving the heater to upper contactengaging and toasting position, a lug on each lever arm and a detent member having a recess therein to receive both lugs to hold said toast heater in contact-engaging position, said lever.

arms being releasable from said detent by upward movement of said lever arms.

4. An electric toaster including a casing, a bread carrier fixedly positioned within the casing, a movable electric toast heater biased toa lower non-toasting position substantially within the casing, contact members on the heater movable therewith, cooperating contact members supported by the bread carrier and normally out of engagement with the contact members on the heater, manually actuable means including two pivotally mounted lever arms normally spaced apart and movable toward each other and a linkage connecting said lever arms to the toast heater for moving the heater to upper contactengaging and toasting position, a lug on each lever arm and a detent member having a recess therein to receive both lugs to h ld said toast heaterin contact-engaging position, release of said toast heater from its upper contact-engaging position requiring simultaneous movement of both of said lugs relatively to the detent.

5. An electric toaster including a casing a toast heater normally yieldingly biased to a lower inoperative position substantially within the casing and manually actuable means including a pair of pivotally mounted lever arms and links pivotally connecting the lever arms and requiring a contracting pressure by an operator to cause upward movement of the toast heater into operative position, a detent biased to operative position, means connected with one of said lever 

